A critical element of creating peace is creating an inclusive and empowered community. By inclusive I mean that individuals of all ethnicity religion, gender, socio-economic and level of ability are a meaningful part of the community and have access to opportunities. The word 'empower' gets thrown around but few understand how to achieve it.
Traditionally we think that it is through skills and resources that we empower. As a result of this we give developing countries resources, money and train them. Yet are these countries empowered? Are they free of dependency? At Omni One we see resources and skills as a vehicle but without fuel it will go nowhere. What really empowers people then? That is a question worth asking. What is it that enables people to stand no their own two feet, become proactive in creating their future and the future of their communities?
It is a question we will continue to ask, but so far we offer the following ideas that are working very well in all communities we have worked in. Our answer is PASSION, CONFIDENCE and OWNERSHIP! Until we stop telling other people and communities what they should be doing, or stop consulting them and then doing it for them there will be no empowerment. What is needed is a space where individuals and communities can explore and ignite their own passion and realize their capacity to achieve their dreams starting with the resources they ALREADY HAVE!
I have been working in Kenya for the last 12 months, and in
this time I have talked to many people about my past work on the Festival of
Dreams. The sentiment of young people and stakeholders has been that Festival
of Dreams is something that needs to happen in Kenya, that it is a missing
piece to the puzzle of creating a peaceful, stable community.
Like everywhere in the world, young people are a critical asset in the community. In Kenya, this asset is being wasted. Kenya has 70% of it’s population under the age of 30yo with 60% unemployment. There is poverty, drug, alcohol and politically fueled violence prominent and young people are stuck in a cycle of poverty that has existed for a long time. Jobs do not exist. In order for young Kenyans to break out of the cycle of poverty and violence they need to become masterful at creating opportunities that do not currently exist. Festival of Dreams offers young Kenyans the platform to create new opportunities and nothing like it exists in the country.
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| The young people on the Dream Team at the Concept Launch sharing issues young Kenyans struggle with |
We’re aiming to raise $45,000 to kick start the first Festival of Dreams program in Kenya. This figure is the minimum amount we need to run the basic year-long project. It will give us enough time to start looking at longer term, sustainable funding sources that will ensure this incredible project can continue on in years to come, and grow to include other features like an alumni program and opportunities for past participants of Festival of Dreams to help organise and run the program. Eva Mackinley is the Fundraising Director for Festival of Dreams Kenya. Her story is below:
I was 15 when I attended the Festival of Dreams forum in Tasmania. To be honest, I didn't really know what it was at the time. I was going along because one of my friends was. I had no idea that what was to come would change my life forever.
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| Eva Mackinley winning Southern Cross Young Achiever Award from what she achieved through Festival of Dreams |
At the end of that forum, I put my name down to volunteer at Festival of Dreams and spent that set of summer holidays in the office with Celia, who has become a life long friend and mentor. Over the next few years, I became deeply involved with the organisation on many levels, and it set me on a path that 15 year old me could have only imagined.
The process was simple enough. With a group of about 100 other young people from around the state, we explore our dreams for our communities. With the help of the program facilitators, learned how to turn those dreams from ideas into tangible project plans that we could take away and implement when we left the forum.
The power to create our vision for our community was completely handed to us, and for me it was the first time anyone had ever given me power over anything. I had met a group of peers who didn’t judge me, as we were all in the same situation, all unknown to each other. I could be whoever I wanted to be. I could be whatever I wanted to be.
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| The Dream Team at the Concept Launch. These are the Kenyans building the project in Kenya. Everyone is volunteering their time and resources. We all invite you to partner with us to make this opportunity a reality |
When Celia spoke to me a couple of months ago about her work in Kenya, and the context of the young people in that country, I immediately understood the need for Festival of Dreams to exist there.
Young people in Kenya need something to empower them, to give them the space to create their own opportunities where none exist. In that way, a new generation of young people in Kenya will take ownership of their communities and work together to make positive things happen within them- simultaneously creating opportunities for themselves and breaking cycles of poverty and violence.
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| Young people say THANK YOU! |
We are inviting you to donate to this campaign and share this opportunity with your networks from now until September 6th. I know we can make this happen.
Thanks for reading, and we invite you to support Festival of Dreams in Kenya.
Eva Mackinley
Festival of Dreams Kenya Funding Campaign Director
